RJ Spagnols Dashwood New Zealand Pinot Noir

[K&GB]

Has anyone made this En Primeur kit? The description sound intriguing. If not this, can someone recommend a good pinot noir?


Ken

 

[Dean]

I haven't made this one, but I did taste it. You can't go wrong with an EP. This one however, would take about 2 year aging to really start to open up. I tasted at 1 year old, and it was still very much closed.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

I made the WE Selection Original back last March. It is starting to get pretty good IMO, and I wasnt a big fan before.

 

[grapeman]

I don't think you would go wrong with the Mosti Mondiale All Juice Pinot Noir. I madeonein May oflast year and it turned out very good and is getting some age on it now.

 

[K&GB]

Thanks Dean, JW, and Appleman. Just trying to get a feel for public opinion about this kit or En Primeur kits in general. They appear to be RJ Spagnols' top of the line, 18 liter kits. I really am tempted to get the MM Alljuice Pinot Noir, but I've already made a couple of those kits.I haven't made an RJ Spagnols kit yet, and I want to round out my experience. So many wines... so little time.

 

[bykerkhj]

I bottled the Dashwood Pinot Noir about one month ago. It tasted very fruity and I anticipate it will be very good. I have sampled this wine from another wine maker after it had aged about 1 year. It was superb.

 

[geocorn]

We started our about 6 weeks ago, so I can not give any good feedback, but to say that the En Primeurs generally make outstanding wines. There is a reason we stock them!

 

[albertadan]

I asked this question on the RJS Forum and did not really get a good answer.

The answer made sense, but...


My question was:


When are the Oak Cubes added. The answer I got was during the fermentaion stage. The person who answered had not made the kit, but the marketing blurb, says that the Pinot was fermented on the Oak Cubes.
Every other time I have addedOak Cubes it has been after stabilization. There is no mention of the Oak Cubes in the directions...

 

[Grant]

Well hello there albertadan, I live about 2 hours se of Edmonton, finally another Albertan

 

[geocorn]

We tasted the dashwood several week ago and it will be very good. Still green, but the flavors and spice are starting to come out.

 

[Okie1]

Any thoughts on adding an En Primeur Kitcatagory to the forum?


I have only been making EP kits for a year now, but I really love the premium quality of their kits.

 

[TankCa]

I've decided my next kit will be a Pinot Noirand I now need to decide which one. I want a big kit and don't mind waiting a year or 2 while it ages.


I've got it narrowed down between the Dashwood New Zealand Pinot Noir and....
<UL>
<LI>WE Sonoma Valley
<LI>MM All Juice
<LI>MM Renaissance Chilean</LI>[/list]


Any suggestions on what would be the best?
Thanks,
SteveEdited by: TankCa

 

[Okie1]

Tank, I dont know about your other 3 choices there, but I can tell you that the Dashwood is extremly good!!


I made this kit in late march or early april 2007 and I'm going to have to have my wifehide a few bottles from me so we can have some with better age on it someday

 

[TankCa]

Thanks.....I just ordered the Dashwood along with a WE Sonoma Cab Crushendo. Couldn't help myself.


Steve

 

[Okie1]

Good choices. My only other recommendation now on the Dashwood is to not rush the stabilizing step, and do extended bulk aging after stabilizing and racking off the lees.
I personally like oak so I bulk aged on a little french (med toast) cubes for a good 3 months.

 

[Wade E]

I believe that it would be covered under RJ Spagnols kits.

 

[uavwmn]

K&amp;GB, Hi there. Might want to research the Pinot/Merlot MM kit. I have that one in the carboy right now. It smells sooooo good. I have only tried a couple of the Pinot Noir commercial wines and really enjoyed the smooth, mellow taste. And I like a good merlot once in awhile. So, I am excited about this one.

 

[K&GB]

UAV,


Too late. I already have the En Primeur kit stabilized. This kit was different than the others I've done in that the must smelled amazingly good (wanted to drink it) and the yeast supplied with the kit was RC-212 instead of the EC-1118 that has come in all my other kits. It came with both oak powder and oak cubes. I was supposed to add both during primary, but I waited until secondary to add the cubes. I stabilized and degassed the wine a couple of days ago, but I haven't put in the clarifiers yet.


I plan to bulk age this one in my cool garage this winter and maybe bottle in the spring.


Good luck with the MM kit. Let us know how it turns out.


KenEdited by: K&GB

 

[JimCook]

Ken,


Did the En Primeur kit have any kind of yeast nutrients or energizers provided or was it just the Lavlin pack?


- Jim

 

[K&GB]

Jim,


No, just the packet of yeast. I wondered if yeast nutrient might have already been added to the must. I think it was listed on the box as one of the "this kit may contain" components, but I'm not sure. I may have read that on another wine kit box.


Ken